WEBVTT Kind: captions; Language: en 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:07.000 Well, hello and welcome to the famous Computer Cafe. 00:00:07.001 --> 00:00:11.000 We have a great show today and I want to introduce our players. 00:00:11.001 --> 00:00:13.001 First of all, we have Dr. Desk. 00:00:13.001 --> 00:00:14.000 How are you doing? 00:00:14.001 --> 00:00:15.001 Well, I'm fine, Nurse Allen. 00:00:16.001 --> 00:00:18.000 I love it when he calls me that. 00:00:18.001 --> 00:00:19.001 And who else is here? 00:00:19.001 --> 00:00:22.001 Well, Michael Walker is here who just came in out of the rain and of course 00:00:22.001 --> 00:00:25.000 it's one of those beautiful rain days. 00:00:25.001 --> 00:00:26.001 You know, it's not real heavy rain. 00:00:27.000 --> 00:00:28.000 I like rainy days. 00:00:28.000 --> 00:00:31.001 Well, Andy Belkoff is also here and he's just having a nice day. 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:34.001 Just a great time today here at the famous Computer Cafe. 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:36.000 I love to be with my friends. 00:00:36.001 --> 00:00:40.001 We are excited that Dr. Desk is here to answer all of your questions that you 00:00:40.001 --> 00:00:44.000 have about your computers, hardware, software, whatever. 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:45.000 You name it. 00:00:45.000 --> 00:00:47.000 Anything having to do with computers today no matter how 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:49.000 wild, we'll take it on, okay? 00:00:49.001 --> 00:00:50.001 Sure, we'll give it a try. 00:00:50.001 --> 00:00:51.000 That's right. 00:00:51.001 --> 00:00:54.001 Okay, today as always this week, today's your last day. 00:00:54.001 --> 00:00:58.001 All our callers will win a Winky, the computer friendship. 00:00:59.000 --> 00:01:01.001 And if you want to see more about that, you can go visit the 00:01:01.001 --> 00:01:03.001 billboard that they have at Fun Sunset Boulevard. 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:06.000 And you will also be winning tickets. 00:01:06.001 --> 00:01:11.000 Two tickets for each caller to the second annual Computer Cellathon Expo 85 00:01:11.000 --> 00:01:15.000 that's being held at the Shrine Exposition Hall on Saturday, February 9th. 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:19.000 That's tomorrow from 10 to 7 and on Sunday from 10 to 5. 00:01:19.000 --> 00:01:22.001 You can get thousands of computer products for immediate purchase at 00:01:22.001 --> 00:01:24.000 low, low prices up to 50%. 00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:28.001 So if any of you, all of you I know want to call, let me give you the numbers. 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:31.001 In Los Angeles, 628 KIEV. 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:34.001 In San Fernando Valley, 989 KIEV. 00:01:34.001 --> 00:01:37.000 Glendale Burbank, 956 KIEV. 00:01:37.001 --> 00:01:40.000 San Gabriel Valley, 443 KIEV. 00:01:40.001 --> 00:01:42.001 South Bay, 835 KIEV. 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:46.000 Orange County, 714 739 KIEV. 00:01:46.001 --> 00:01:49.000 And West LA, 837 KIEV. 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:54.000 We will be right back with some news and then Dr. Disk after these messages. 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:08.000 Start with the world's best selling database system. 00:02:08.001 --> 00:02:12.000 Give it enhanced features to make it faster, more powerful and easier to use. 00:02:12.001 --> 00:02:15.000 And you have the makings of a software heavyweight. 00:02:15.001 --> 00:02:19.001 DBase 3, Ashton Tate's hot new package for your 16-bit PC. 00:02:20.001 --> 00:02:26.000 With DBase 3, you can create records with up to 128 fields, access 10 files at 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:29.001 once and run other programs like communications or word processing 00:02:29.001 --> 00:02:31.000 without leaving DBase 3. 00:02:31.001 --> 00:02:36.000 You can read non-DBase files from other software programs or mainframe databases. 00:02:36.001 --> 00:02:40.001 And you can easily convert your DBase 2 files and programs to DBase 3. 00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:44.001 If you get stuck, help is at your fingertips with multiple help screens. 00:02:45.001 --> 00:02:47.001 And where do you go to see this powerful new program? 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:51.001 Go see David and Betty Sun at Sun Computers in the city of Carson. 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:55.001 They'll tell you what you need to know about DBase 3 and more. 00:02:56.001 --> 00:03:01.000 Sun Computers is located at 20925 South Benita in Carson. 00:03:01.001 --> 00:03:05.000 Or call 213-538-8338. 00:03:05.001 --> 00:03:09.000 That's 213-538-8338. 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:13.000 Sun Computers in Carson. A soft sell dealer. 00:03:13.000 --> 00:03:17.000 A partner. What is it? I never really thought about it much. 00:03:17.001 --> 00:03:20.001 But I guess a partner is someone who shares the burdens 00:03:20.001 --> 00:03:22.000 and rewards of your business with you. 00:03:22.001 --> 00:03:24.000 A partner does some things better than you do. 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:28.000 Even does some things you can't do at all. That's why you're partners. 00:03:29.000 --> 00:03:33.001 You balance each other out. Without my partner, I never could have made it. 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:38.001 I really think the secret to a successful business is a successful partnership. 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:42.001 This word about partners has been brought to you by Star Software Systems. 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:44.000 Makers of the Accounting Partner. 00:03:44.001 --> 00:03:48.000 The Accounting Partner. A complete sophisticated accounting package, 00:03:48.001 --> 00:03:50.000 specially designed for small businesses. 00:03:51.000 --> 00:03:54.001 The Accounting Partner includes general ledger, accounts receivable, accounts 00:03:54.001 --> 00:03:57.000 payable, invoicing, purchase orders and payroll. 00:03:57.001 --> 00:04:00.000 All for a very affordable $395. 00:04:01.000 --> 00:04:04.000 The Accounting Partner by Star Software Systems is 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:05.001 available at the Federated Group. 00:04:05.001 --> 00:04:10.001 The Federated Group is located in Temple City, West LA, Torrance, Cerritos, 00:04:10.001 --> 00:04:14.001 Huntington Beach, Mission Viejo and La Puente. This message is sponsored 00:04:14.001 --> 00:04:16.000 by Soft Team Distributors. 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:22.001 Well, hi. This is Andy and I'm here at the news corner at the famous Computer 00:04:22.001 --> 00:04:26.001 Cafe talking about what's new today in the world of personal computing. 00:04:26.001 --> 00:04:31.001 Well, first of all, eight former employees filed a $50 million class action suit 00:04:31.001 --> 00:04:36.000 against Atari and its parent company, Warner Communications reported in the San 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:39.000 Francisco Chronicle representing a potential class of 1 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:41.000 ,200 former white collar workers. 00:04:41.001 --> 00:04:46.001 The lawsuit asked for actual damages of $25,000 per worker plus about $25 00:04:46.001 --> 00:04:48.000 million in punitive damages. 00:04:48.001 --> 00:04:52.001 The suit charges at Atari and Warner misled employees about job security during 00:04:52.001 --> 00:04:57.000 the period Atari was being sold to former Commodore CEO Jack Tramiel. 00:04:57.000 --> 00:05:01.001 James Copeland, vice president of marketing at Atari, said that 00:05:01.001 --> 00:05:03.000 this lawsuit was without merit. 00:05:03.001 --> 00:05:07.000 He commented, this is one that sounds like it's right out of Alice in 00:05:07.000 --> 00:05:09.000 Wonderland, as reported in the Chronicle. 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:15.000 Digital Equipment Corporation officials said their firm will invest $4 million in 00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:19.000 high technology products sponsored by the European Community, Reuters News 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:24.001 Service in Brussels reported. According to Reuters, Bruno Devanzo, the company's 00:05:24.001 --> 00:05:28.000 vice president of marketing in Europe, told journalists the expected results of a 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:31.001 consortium project would make it easier for the European industry to implement 00:05:31.001 --> 00:05:33.001 computer integrated manufacturing. 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:38.001 Jonathan Sacks, co-founder of Lotus Development Corporation, announced his 00:05:38.001 --> 00:05:42.000 resignation from the company. Sacks, who personally authored the best-selling 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:46.000 Lotus 123 integrated software package, will continue to work 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:47.001 for the firm as a consultant. 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:52.001 Well, Eastman Kodak Company took its first step into the computer peripheral 00:05:52.001 --> 00:05:54.001 components field. 00:05:54.001 --> 00:05:59.001 The Rochester New York company said it will begin making magnetic recording heads 00:05:59.001 --> 00:06:06.001 for disk drives soon. Well, talk about combining new and 00:06:06.001 --> 00:06:10.001 old technology. A New York man has developed a flat computer screen that can 00:06:10.001 --> 00:06:15.000 replace the lid on a photocopy machine or serve as a display for a personal 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:22.000 computer. Developer Demis A. Crusos told Beth Kirsh of Inc. Magazine that with 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:26.000 this invention a document can be sent directly from the computer to a display on 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:30.000 the underside of the copier lid and the number of copies you could produce would 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:34.000 be limited only by the speed of the copier in your office. Well, that's it for 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:38.000 the news here at the Thames Computer Cafe. We're going to take a break and 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:42.000 afterwards, no, we're not going to take a break, we're going to go right to the 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:45.001 bulletin board. And Dr. Disk has something on the bulletin board here. 00:06:45.001 --> 00:06:51.001 Yeah, Andy, I have three very interesting phone numbers. The original Apple Core 00:06:51.001 --> 00:06:57.000 users group meets on the campus of UCLA in the chemistry building. If you're 00:06:57.000 --> 00:07:01.000 interested in Apple computers, you're definitely invited to attend. For more 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:06.000 information, please call Fred Duffy at area 213-396 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:13.000 -5515. That's 213-396-5515. 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:18.000 And that meeting is this Sunday, folks, this Sunday for the Apple, original Apple 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:20.001 Core. And, you know, tell Duffy we said hello here at the Bemis 00:07:20.001 --> 00:07:22.001 Computer Cafe. Duffy's a big fan of ours. 00:07:22.001 --> 00:07:26.000 Hi, Duffy. Okay, we are going to be right back after these messages. 00:07:36.001 --> 00:07:41.001 If Lotus had given you just one, one, a spreadsheet that's up to 50 times faster 00:07:41.001 --> 00:07:45.001 than other spreadsheets, with every statistical and financial formula you'll ever 00:07:45.001 --> 00:07:50.000 need, and the largest workspace on the market, that would have been enough. And 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:54.001 if Lotus had given you just two, two, information management to store and 00:07:54.001 --> 00:07:59.000 organize information with the ability to cross index over 2,000 records by 32 00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:04.000 criteria and use information from other programs and computer systems, that would 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:08.001 have been enough. And if Lotus had given you just three, three graphics to graph 00:08:08.001 --> 00:08:12.001 information from your spreadsheet in less than two seconds and change that 00:08:12.001 --> 00:08:17.000 information, touch a key, and graph the new results instantly. Graphics as a 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:21.001 thinking tool. That would have been enough. But Lotus has given you more. Text 00:08:21.001 --> 00:08:26.001 editing, tutorials, a help key, and a host of features which give Lotus 123 its 00:08:26.001 --> 00:08:33.000 power and simplicity. Lotus 123 is available at the software spot, 10977 Santa 00:08:33.000 --> 00:08:39.001 Monica Boulevard in West Los Angeles, or phone 213-477-7561. 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:46.001 That's 213-477-7561. The software spot. The oldest independently owned and 00:08:46.001 --> 00:08:51.000 operated software store in Los Angeles. A soft sell dealer. One day at the 00:08:51.000 --> 00:08:55.000 office. Here you are, Mr. Smithers. All the information you requested. As you can 00:08:55.000 --> 00:08:58.000 see here, Department 42 increased production by 32% with a 6 00:08:58.000 --> 00:08:59.001 % seasonal adjustment in the fourth quarter. 00:08:59.001 --> 00:09:02.001 Wilson, this is garbage. I can't understand any of it. Come 00:09:02.001 --> 00:09:04.000 back when you can show me the big picture. 00:09:04.001 --> 00:09:09.000 One month later. Here, Mr. Smithers. All the information in concise graphs. I 00:09:09.000 --> 00:09:12.001 think it's much easier to understand. Too little, too late, Wilson. I needed this 00:09:12.001 --> 00:09:17.001 three weeks ago. You're fired. This has been a graphic demonstration of the 00:09:17.001 --> 00:09:21.000 importance of business graphics and getting your point across. Graph Rider by 00:09:21.000 --> 00:09:25.001 Graphic Communications is software that provides all the capabilities required to 00:09:25.001 --> 00:09:29.000 quickly produce every standard chart used in business reports to the business 00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:34.001 person smart enough to use it. Graph Rider by Graphic Communications for the big 00:09:34.001 --> 00:09:37.000 picture. And of course, Graph Rider is available at 00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:39.000 Pathfinder Business and Computer Centers. 00:09:39.001 --> 00:09:45.000 In Los Angeles, Pathfinder is located at 12036 Wilshire Boulevard. Or call 00:09:45.000 --> 00:09:47.000 207-0244. 00:09:57.001 --> 00:10:02.001 That's Ellen. And we're here with Dr. Dis. Hello. I'm fine. I'm fine. That's 00:10:02.001 --> 00:10:06.000 good. First thing I want to do before we take calls. I know you've got lots of 00:10:06.000 --> 00:10:09.001 you out there. We're going to go to the calls right away. I want to mention to 00:10:09.001 --> 00:10:14.000 the doctor. We had a guy call yesterday who wanted to know if there was a book 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:18.000 that he could find that would make his Commodore easier to use. He couldn't get 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:21.001 through the Commodore user's manual. He felt that was too complicated. What would 00:10:21.001 --> 00:10:26.000 you recommend for somebody like that? Well, there are third-party books written 00:10:26.000 --> 00:10:28.000 about all the different personal computers. 00:10:29.000 --> 00:10:32.000 But basically, if he's having problems getting through the user guide, I'd 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:36.001 suggest he hire a consultant or find a very good friend that knows the 00:10:36.001 --> 00:10:38.001 Commodore. Or possibly go to a user group. 00:10:39.000 --> 00:10:41.000 Might be another idea. Yeah. A user group would be an excellent 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:43.001 idea. The Commodore user group. 00:10:43.001 --> 00:10:46.001 Let's see. We had that number somewhere. We'll find that by the end of the show. 00:10:47.001 --> 00:10:51.000 Okay. Let's go to our first caller. Hi. You have a question for 00:10:51.000 --> 00:10:52.001 Dr. Diske? Yes, I do. Hello. 00:10:53.001 --> 00:10:59.000 I wondered, is there any feeling that you have as to the difference in quality or 00:10:59.000 --> 00:11:04.000 reliability between the lower-priced computers such as Atari's and Commodore's 00:11:04.000 --> 00:11:08.000 and the IBM's, the higher-priced machines? Okay. What you're getting when you 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:13.001 start moving up the price range is power in the machine and the amount of work 00:11:13.001 --> 00:11:18.000 that it can actually do. As far as reliability, I would say they're all about as 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:24.000 reliable as one another as far as storage and so on. But when you move past the 00:11:24.000 --> 00:11:28.000 thousand dollar range, say, and you get out of PC juniors and Apple C's and so 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:32.000 on, you're getting into a true business machine, which may be more than you want 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:36.000 for home use. If you're going to balance your checkbook and play games, stay with 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:37.001 something inexpensive. It'll do it fine. 00:11:38.001 --> 00:11:40.001 But you really feel that the reliability is about the same? 00:11:40.001 --> 00:11:42.001 Yeah. The reliability is about the same. 00:11:42.001 --> 00:11:46.000 They use the basic technology. It's basically what you're getting into, 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:51.001 sophistication and memory size, and how much the machine can actually function 00:11:51.001 --> 00:11:53.001 with an application software. 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:56.001 Larry, what would you be using your computer 00:11:56.001 --> 00:11:59.000 for? Why do you ask, I guess, is the question? 00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:02.001 I'm particularly interested right now. I'm looking around at disk drives. I 00:12:02.001 --> 00:12:06.001 wondered if I were to get a disk drive for an Atari or a Commodore. Am I getting 00:12:06.001 --> 00:12:11.000 the same quality kind of mechanical, electrical construction as I would, for 00:12:11.000 --> 00:12:13.001 example, in a maybe more expensive one? 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:16.001 Okay, as far as particular hardware is 00:12:16.001 --> 00:12:18.001 concerned, you get exactly what you pay for. 00:12:18.001 --> 00:12:25.000 You buy a cheap drive, the reliability is going to drop. So if I were you, it's 00:12:25.000 --> 00:12:28.001 kind of like speakers in a stereo. You want to spend your money there so you 00:12:28.001 --> 00:12:30.000 get good reliability. Sure. 00:12:31.000 --> 00:12:34.001 Okay, thanks for calling, Larry. Thank you very much. Take our next call. Hi, 00:12:35.000 --> 00:12:39.001 John. You're on the air. You have a question for the doctor? Yes, I live in a 00:12:39.001 --> 00:12:46.000 house that is an old house, gets 40 amps, and that 40 amps is 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:52.000 divided between two houses. And so, as a consequence, you throw a light switch 00:12:52.000 --> 00:12:57.001 and all that. Okay, what you need, I can anticipate your question already, is 00:12:57.001 --> 00:13:03.000 something called a surge protector. You can also get uninterruptible power 00:13:03.000 --> 00:13:08.000 sources. Now, those are relatively expensive. Okay, they're actually very 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:14.001 expensive. But a surge protector should run you around $100 or less for 00:13:14.001 --> 00:13:19.000 a good one, and that will prevent that problem when you're sitting in front of 00:13:19.000 --> 00:13:23.000 your PC and your wife turns on the dining room light and the PC goes down. It'll 00:13:23.000 --> 00:13:27.000 stop that sort of thing. Doctor, for the benefit of our other listeners out 00:13:27.000 --> 00:13:30.001 there, what is the surge protector used for and what would it avoid? All right, 00:13:30.001 --> 00:13:34.001 when your power comes into your house, it's not nice, clean, uninterrupted power. 00:13:35.000 --> 00:13:39.001 It comes in in little bits, pieces, surges, which are a large increase of power 00:13:39.001 --> 00:13:45.000 over a very short time, and those are lethal to a personal computer. And a surge 00:13:45.000 --> 00:13:50.000 protector helps smooth that all out so the PC gets uninterrupted power. What kind 00:13:50.000 --> 00:13:56.001 of problems have you experienced, John? Well, just, well, when I had my Texas 00:13:56.001 --> 00:14:03.001 instrument, it would, the TV screen would dim and I've never lost any data 00:14:03.001 --> 00:14:09.000 on that, but I anticipate the day that something like that might happen. Yeah, 00:14:09.000 --> 00:14:16.000 the, I know in my office, I have to put an anti-static mat on the desk, because 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:20.000 if I touch the box, I have a PC, and if I touch the box, I'll get a parity check, 00:14:20.001 --> 00:14:24.000 and I've lost everything in memory. That's just because of static electricity. 00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:30.000 And if you look for something like a lemon or an orange or a lime, these are 00:14:30.000 --> 00:14:35.001 brand names. They're run around $100, and they're very reliable, and they should 00:14:35.001 --> 00:14:41.000 help stop that dimming problem for you. Well, what kind of features should I look 00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:45.000 for in one? One of the things you want to look for is an on-off light to make 00:14:45.000 --> 00:14:48.001 sure you know the surge protector is working. That's rather important. And 00:14:48.001 --> 00:14:52.001 usually they come with a switch, so it serves as a master switch for your entire 00:14:52.001 --> 00:14:55.000 system. Okay, thanks very much for calling. 00:14:55.000 --> 00:14:58.001 I'm going to take our next caller. Hi, Ray, you have a question for the doctor? 00:14:59.001 --> 00:15:05.001 Yes, I noticed when I do a check disk on my hard drive, I find that I've got a 00:15:05.001 --> 00:15:12.000 couple of files that they say are non-contiguous, and my question is concerning 00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:18.001 fragmentation. I want to know at what point do those non-contiguous files 00:15:18.001 --> 00:15:25.001 degrade the ability of the disk to work, and when is it necessary to 00:15:25.001 --> 00:15:31.001 back up? When does the fragmentation become a deterrent? Okay, what was your name 00:15:31.001 --> 00:15:35.001 again? I'm sorry, Ray? Okay, what happens is just so I can explain real briefly, 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:40.000 fragmentation is when your files are broken up over the recording medium of the 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:42.001 hard disk into various, they're called sectors. 00:15:42.001 --> 00:15:47.001 Now what happens is it starts slowing down the response of the machine because it 00:15:47.001 --> 00:15:53.001 has to look all over to find the entire file. What you might want to look into is 00:15:53.001 --> 00:16:00.000 Norton Utilities. His new version 3.0 has a version 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:04.001 for external hard disks, and he can help you get rid of fragmented files 00:16:04.001 --> 00:16:08.001 completely. You can pull out all the different sectors and put them back into one 00:16:08.001 --> 00:16:13.000 contiguous file. Contiguous means that they're all joined together. Like in the 00:16:13.000 --> 00:16:18.000 United States you have 48 contiguous states. Isn't it possible to get rid of the 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:22.001 fragmentation simply by using the backup command on the lobbies and then putting 00:16:22.001 --> 00:16:27.001 them back on? No, actually I don't think that's a reliable way. You may have it 00:16:27.001 --> 00:16:32.001 happen by pure chance, but backup makes a mirror image only compressed of what 00:16:32.001 --> 00:16:36.001 you have on your hard disk, and then when you restore it you'll have a mirror 00:16:36.001 --> 00:16:39.001 image of what you had when you backed it up. So they'll still be non-contiguous. 00:16:40.001 --> 00:16:44.001 The chances are very good that they will. Now sometimes it will pick that up, but 00:16:44.001 --> 00:16:47.000 it's not a reliable way to do it. Gotcha. 00:16:47.000 --> 00:16:51.000 Okay, thank you very much. We've got to take some more calls, okay? All right. 00:16:51.001 --> 00:16:55.000 Thank you. We're going to go to our next caller. Take one more call. Hi, David, 00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:57.001 you're on the line. You have a question for the doctor? Yes, I have a question 00:16:57.001 --> 00:17:02.000 for you or the doctor. Okay, go ahead. I have an IBM PC. 00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:06.000 Right. I'm trying to find out whether I could obtain a memory map for it. 00:17:06.001 --> 00:17:11.000 A memory map? Right. Okay, the best place to get the memory map for an IBM PC is 00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:17.000 the IBM PC Technical Reference Manual. You can get one of those at most computer 00:17:17.000 --> 00:17:22.000 stores or check the IBM product center. Doctor, what's a memory map? A memory map 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:27.000 shows you all the locations of your internal or RAM memory by hexadecimal 00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:31.001 equivalents so that if you're programming in either machine or in basic, you can 00:17:31.001 --> 00:17:35.001 use the hexadecimal to go to a particular point in memory, which sometimes you 00:17:35.001 --> 00:17:40.001 may want to do. Are you a programmer, David? Yes. Check the reference manual. You 00:17:40.001 --> 00:17:44.000 can get that through the IBM product center for sure and probably 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:45.001 some other larger computer stores. 00:17:45.001 --> 00:17:50.001 All right. I also have a question. I want to obtain a relatively inexpensive DC 00:17:50.001 --> 00:17:56.001 wheel printer for the IBM PC. I was looking somewhere in the $300 to $500 range 00:17:56.001 --> 00:18:00.001 to make a recommendation. Okay, I think your best bet for that would be to get 00:18:00.001 --> 00:18:02.000 the IBM PC graphics printer. 00:18:02.001 --> 00:18:06.001 It's actually made by Epson, marketed by IBM, and it will print the 00:18:06.001 --> 00:18:08.000 entire ASCII character set. 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:10.001 Is that actually a DC wheel printer? No, 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:12.001 excuse me. That's a dot matrix. You're right. 00:18:13.000 --> 00:18:18.000 Daisy wheel. Hmm. Daisy wheel is a letter quality printer that prints exactly 00:18:18.000 --> 00:18:24.001 like a typewriter, a fully formed character. I'm not really good on recommending 00:18:24.001 --> 00:18:29.000 different pieces of hardware at that price range. Sorry. All right. We'll look 00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:32.001 into it. If we find out something, we'll let you know. Okay? Thank you, Ellen. 00:18:32.001 --> 00:18:34.001 Okay. We're going to take a message and we'll be back 00:18:34.001 --> 00:18:36.000 with all the other calls when we get back. 00:18:44.001 --> 00:18:51.001 Welcome to Computer Suitor. Today, Bachelorette Software, SAMNA Word 3 asks 00:18:51.001 --> 00:18:55.000 the big question. Bachelor number one, what do you want in the perfect word 00:18:55.000 --> 00:18:59.000 processor? I want a word processor that handles different languages, French, 00:18:59.000 --> 00:19:03.001 German, Spanish, and even Greek. Oh, pat problem. Bachelor number two? I don't 00:19:03.001 --> 00:19:08.000 know if I can see this on the air, but I'm crazy about word processors with a 00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:12.001 zoom feature. I like a miniature picture of the whole page so I can see margins 00:19:12.001 --> 00:19:16.000 and centering. A different perspective. Bachelor number three? 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:21.000 I want five function math mode, the ability to do line drawings, easy cursor 00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:26.001 control, and spell checking. I want it all. Well, this is difficult. I do all 00:19:26.001 --> 00:19:30.001 those things. Having a hard time picking the best word processing program? Pick 00:19:30.001 --> 00:19:37.001 SAMNA Word 3. SAMNA Word 3 is available at priority one, located at 9161 00:19:37.001 --> 00:19:44.000 Deering Avenue in Chatsworth or call 818-709-6789. That's 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:47.001 818-709-6789. 00:19:47.001 --> 00:19:51.000 This message is sponsored by Soft Team Distributors. 00:19:53.001 --> 00:19:58.001 Okay, let's take another caller. Hello, this is the doctor. How are 00:19:58.001 --> 00:20:00.001 you? Fine, is this Beverly? Yes. 00:20:00.001 --> 00:20:05.000 Hi, what's your question? I'm just going to buy a computer, but I wanted to know 00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:09.001 which is better, a green screen or an amber screen? Well, actually, 00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:12.000 I don't think there's a whole lot of difference. 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:18.000 It's major, mostly personal preference. Now, I know in Europe, most companies use 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:23.000 amber screens, whereas here we seem to use the green on black. I would say just 00:20:23.000 --> 00:20:27.000 go to your computer store, sit in front of the thing for a while, not just five 00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:30.000 or ten minutes, and see how you feel. Okay, I'll try it. 00:20:30.001 --> 00:20:33.001 Good. Thanks a lot. Doctor, is there a price difference usually between those 00:20:33.001 --> 00:20:37.000 two? No, I have not seen one really. It just depends on how you want it 00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:39.000 configured. Great. Okay, we'll take our next call. 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:45.000 Hello. Hello, this is the doctor? Yes, it is. Hi, this is Ann. Hi, Ann. Hi, how 00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:50.001 are you? I have a Commodore 64, and I would like to know if the new Commodore 00:20:50.001 --> 00:20:55.001 coming out, the 128, is going to be any different if it's worth the investment, 00:20:56.000 --> 00:21:00.000 because all I do is use it for household things like balancing checkbooks and 00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:04.000 things like that. Interesting, you should ask. I just read an article today by 00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:09.001 Mr. Dvorak, where he gave Commodore the dubious upgrade of the year award. 00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:15.001 Really? I don't really know. I haven't seen a 128 yet, so I would suggest holding 00:21:15.001 --> 00:21:20.001 off and going and checking it out very carefully. So you don't really see any 00:21:20.001 --> 00:21:25.001 really big... Unless you're having problems now, where you're coming in with too 00:21:25.001 --> 00:21:28.001 little memory, if it works, why fix it? Right, you're right. 00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:33.000 It's a great machine, but maybe I'll wait until they upgrade a third time and 00:21:33.000 --> 00:21:35.001 then go... I would say that would probably be a better bet. Great, 00:21:35.001 --> 00:21:37.000 thank you very much. Oh, you're more than welcome. 00:21:37.001 --> 00:21:43.001 Bye-bye. Bye. Hello. Hello. Is this Patrick? Yes. Good, this is the doctor. 00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:50.000 Yes, I have a similar question to a previous caller about the resolution and so 00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:57.000 on, and I noticed as I've gone around to try out different computers 00:21:57.000 --> 00:22:03.001 and screens that I would find my eyes getting a little tired after being near 15 00:22:03.001 --> 00:22:06.001 -20 minutes or so in front of the screen. Very common. 00:22:07.001 --> 00:22:09.000 That's very common? Yes, it is. 00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:13.001 In fact, I think they should give a bottle of Ben Gay and a bottle of 00:22:13.001 --> 00:22:15.000 Visine with every computer sold. 00:22:17.000 --> 00:22:21.001 I don't know what you can do about that. If you look at a monochrome screen, one 00:22:21.001 --> 00:22:26.000 thing you want to look for is an anti-glare screen, either built into the monitor 00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:30.000 or one that you put in front of it. That takes away all this glare from the 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:32.001 fluorescent lights and stuff around you. Okay. 00:22:32.001 --> 00:22:37.000 And just look for the highest resolution that you can basically afford. 00:22:38.001 --> 00:22:42.000 The higher the resolution, the bigger the price tag. That's kind of the way 00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:43.001 it goes. I see. Okay. 00:22:43.001 --> 00:22:50.001 What would be in a mid-range resolution, a price in the mid-range? 00:22:52.000 --> 00:22:57.001 I've seen good ones for about 150 up to about 300 that you could sit in front of 00:22:57.001 --> 00:23:01.000 for a while without beating your face. 00:23:01.001 --> 00:23:07.001 Thanks for calling. Hello. Oh. Hi, this is the doctor. Is this 00:23:07.001 --> 00:23:09.001 Bob? Yes, Bob, right? Oh, great. 00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:16.001 Go ahead. Okay. I have a Columbia, which is an IBM compatible, and on some of the 00:23:16.001 --> 00:23:20.000 software I have, I've got to go back and forth between MS-DOS and then two disk 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:24.000 drives and data and so forth. And so I was wondering about, you know, both the 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:27.001 hard drives, which are seen to be coming down in price, external, and you were 00:23:27.001 --> 00:23:33.000 talking about micro-dives the other day. So maybe I can get all of them on, you 00:23:33.000 --> 00:23:37.001 know, on the main drive and what you're feeling is about internal or external, 00:23:37.001 --> 00:23:43.000 you know, hard disks. Tired of the disk at shuffle, huh? 00:23:43.001 --> 00:23:47.001 Okay. I like external hard drives for the simple reason that if the hard drive 00:23:47.001 --> 00:23:51.001 goes down, I can unplug it, take it to the store, and I still have my PC to use. 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:55.001 That's basically the only reason, the only difference I've seen between the two. 00:23:56.001 --> 00:24:01.001 Access speed is so, the difference is so negligible, I don't think you'd notice 00:24:01.001 --> 00:24:08.001 it. But, oh yeah, the externals always have separate 00:24:08.001 --> 00:24:12.000 power supplies, and one of the things you may want to watch for, I'm glad you 00:24:12.000 --> 00:24:16.001 mentioned that, on an internal drive is that you don't overload your machine. If 00:24:16.001 --> 00:24:20.000 you start putting a hard drive in, and you've got the machine fully loaded with 00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:24.000 all the goodies, you could run into a power problem, and then you'd have to 00:24:24.000 --> 00:24:29.001 upgrade your power supply. One thing I'd like to mention for you and anyone else 00:24:29.001 --> 00:24:33.000 who's got this is be sure when you get a hard drive to back 00:24:33.000 --> 00:24:34.001 it up on a regular basis. 00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:38.000 Because remember, you're going to have all your information in there, so you're 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:42.000 not losing just one diskette, you're losing the whole shot. So make sure you back 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:46.001 it up. Okay, thanks a lot for your call. We're going to take our next caller. Hi. 00:24:47.000 --> 00:24:49.001 Hello? Hello? Yes, my name is Gary Mitchell. 00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:56.000 Okay, Gary. And I have a PC jr. Yeah. I'm interested in a light pin, and IBM 00:24:56.000 --> 00:24:59.000 having came out with their light pin for the PC jr. I'd like to know, can you 00:24:59.000 --> 00:25:03.000 tell me anybody else that would support it? I like pin for the jr. Hmm, who 00:25:03.000 --> 00:25:05.000 supports the light, you mean as far as software? 00:25:05.001 --> 00:25:09.001 Yeah. Okay, what do you want to do with it? Well, really, I just want a light pin 00:25:09.001 --> 00:25:14.001 that I could be able to draw graphics and things like that. Uh, I'm not, 00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:16.001 I'll have to look into that for you, Gary. 00:25:17.000 --> 00:25:21.000 Okay, can you listen next week, and I'll uh, I'll look into some software, and I 00:25:21.000 --> 00:25:25.001 have some ideas, but I'm not sure. Okay. All right, so I'll check that out, and 00:25:25.001 --> 00:25:29.001 I'll let you know next week. Okay, good. Thanks for calling, Gary. Okay, I think 00:25:29.001 --> 00:25:35.000 we got time for a few more calls. Hi, you're on the air. Yeah, this is Kurt. Hi, 00:25:35.000 --> 00:25:39.000 Kurt. Hi, a couple of very quick questions. First of all, uh, do you know much 00:25:39.000 --> 00:25:44.000 about, uh, ProDos? A little bit. Okay, uh, how do you find out, for instance, 00:25:44.001 --> 00:25:49.001 what, uh, a range error is? It seems difficult to find good manual support for 00:25:49.001 --> 00:25:55.000 ProDos, and especially, I'm a blind person, and we have a topic in a ProDos. Mm 00:25:55.000 --> 00:25:58.000 -hmm. [...] and we use the Echo 2, but it's very difficult to find out what's 00:25:58.000 --> 00:26:04.000 going on as far as what a particular error code is. How do you find it out? Oh, 00:26:04.000 --> 00:26:11.000 dear. Uh, I don't know. I've had, um, unfortunately, I've 00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:14.000 never had an experience with working with the synthesizer and that sort of 00:26:14.000 --> 00:26:19.000 application. Um, I'm afraid I'll have to defer you to next week, if that's all 00:26:19.000 --> 00:26:22.000 right, because I'd like to look into that. That's an interesting question. Okay, 00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:26.001 what we're doing is converting, uh, Apple, uh, is, uh, DOS 3.3 to ProDos. Mm-hmm. 00:26:26.001 --> 00:26:30.001 And finding that you get, that it's a lot more, uh, picky about file opening and 00:26:30.001 --> 00:26:32.001 closing. Yes, it is very touchy. 00:26:32.001 --> 00:26:37.000 Very difficult to get programs that are converted to, uh, to run, and, uh, 00:26:38.000 --> 00:26:43.000 usually we end up with a rager, and it says files, uh, still open. Mm-hmm. Okay, 00:26:43.001 --> 00:26:48.000 you might want to check at the, uh, the Apple Users Group that we had the number 00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:53.001 earlier on in the show here. See if I can find it again. Um, where was it? Oh, 00:26:53.001 --> 00:27:00.000 here it is. You might want to check this number, uh, Kurt. It's, uh, area 213-396 00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:05.000 -5515, and ask for our friend Fred Duffy. Okay, do you have anything 00:27:05.000 --> 00:27:07.000 in, in, uh, in the Orange County area? 00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:11.000 Um, if we do, we don't with us right now, but we will check on that, and if you 00:27:11.000 --> 00:27:14.001 listen next week, I'll try to remember to give it to you on Monday, okay? Okay, 00:27:14.001 --> 00:27:19.000 that was 396-5515. That's it. Okay, thank you very much. Okay, I'm afraid we're, 00:27:19.001 --> 00:27:23.000 we can take one more quick, quick call. Hi, this is, uh, you're on the air. Is 00:27:23.000 --> 00:27:27.001 this Don? Yes. Hi, Don. Okay, I'm looking for, I have a small business, I'm 00:27:27.001 --> 00:27:31.001 looking for a, uh, computerized, uh, time clock system that will, 00:27:31.001 --> 00:27:34.000 uh, calculate all the times. 00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:39.000 Aha. In, uh, a couple of weeks ago in PC Week, there was an article about just 00:27:39.000 --> 00:27:44.001 such a system being developed for the IBM PC. Um, I would suggest that you try 00:27:44.001 --> 00:27:49.000 and find a back issue of PC Week, and I will try and find it for you for next 00:27:49.000 --> 00:27:51.001 week, and it does exactly what you're looking for. 00:27:52.001 --> 00:27:56.001 We don't have time, I'm sorry. Well, we'll, listen next week, and we'll have your 00:27:56.001 --> 00:27:58.001 answer for you, okay? Gotta go to a 00:27:58.001 --> 00:28:00.000 message, and then we'll be back with our wrap-up. 00:28:04.001 --> 00:28:09.000 SuperCalc 3 by Sorsum is a spreadsheet that's extremely easy to use, swift, and 00:28:09.000 --> 00:28:13.000 powerful, and it's priced lower than most other leading spreadsheet programs. 00:28:14.000 --> 00:28:17.001 SuperCalc 3 has all the built-in functions expected in a high-quality 00:28:17.001 --> 00:28:22.001 spreadsheet, and a lot more. SuperCalc 3's features include an on-screen help 00:28:22.001 --> 00:28:27.001 function, spreadsheet consolidation and sorting capabilities, calendar and date 00:28:27.001 --> 00:28:32.000 calculations, simple data management, functions, and windowing. The integrated 00:28:32.000 --> 00:28:36.001 graphics capability is superbly presented, allowing plotting and printing of 00:28:36.001 --> 00:28:41.000 charts in up to 99 colors. SuperCalc 3 provides you with the ability to create 00:28:41.000 --> 00:28:46.001 pie charts, bar charts, line charts, and xy graphs. The graphics are integrated 00:28:46.001 --> 00:28:51.000 into the command structure, so once you learn SuperCalc 3, plotting and graphing 00:28:51.000 --> 00:28:55.000 the results of your calculations is as easy as pie. To get a taste of the 00:28:55.000 --> 00:29:00.000 simplicity and power of SuperCalc 3, walk into Simply Software, where they'd love 00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:05.000 to whip up a quick demonstration. Simply Software is located at 3001 Sepulveda 00:29:05.000 --> 00:29:11.001 Boulevard in Manhattan Beach, or call 213-546-2467. That's 213 00:29:11.001 --> 00:29:18.001 -546-2467. Simply Software, a soft-cell dealer. Well, Doc, 00:29:18.001 --> 00:29:22.001 thanks for being here. Oh, thank you. I'd like to thank everyone who called in. 00:29:22.001 --> 00:29:26.001 Sorry we couldn't answer all the phone calls. Very sorry. This is Michael. I got 00:29:26.001 --> 00:29:30.001 to tell you guys, it's incredible how many people want to ask you questions. They 00:29:30.001 --> 00:29:34.001 will be here next week. Every Friday. Every Friday the doctor will be here. Next 00:29:34.001 --> 00:29:37.001 Friday, of course, Monday we have Jim Holmes. He'll be talking about user's 00:29:37.001 --> 00:29:41.000 groups. Tuesday, John Rees, the president of Trommox, talking about home banking. 00:29:41.001 --> 00:29:46.001 Wednesday, author Ray Bradbury talking about Fahrenheit 451, which is his book 00:29:46.001 --> 00:29:51.000 made into a computer game. Thursday, Tony Snead talking about TASNET, multi-level 00:29:51.000 --> 00:29:56.001 software marketing. And of course, Friday, Dr. Disk. So thanks folks. And we'll 00:29:56.001 --> 00:29:59.001 be giving away some great Spinnaker software next week, including 00:29:59.001 --> 00:30:01.001 Ray Bradbury's game, as a matter of fact. 00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:05.000 So thanks for listening and we'll see you next week. And enjoy the sell-a-thon 00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:08.001 for everybody who won. Drive safely and have a good weekend. Your name will be at 00:30:08.001 --> 00:30:10.000 the door. Bye-bye. Bye-bye.